


Royalty & Rendezvous

by FavOrbit



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Enemies to Not Enemies, F/F, Friends to Enemies, Organized Crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:15:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27060100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FavOrbit/pseuds/FavOrbit
Summary: Royalty. Crimelords. Superpowers.Enough said.
Kudos: 2





	Royalty & Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

> New fic to celebrate the comeback!
> 
> Thank you for reading, kudos and comments appreciated :)
> 
> 1) Brand names are misspelled on purpose hehehe  
> 2) Malatang is the current 'it' food in Korea!!

A one Michelon star Western restaurant all made up with White Statuario, matching marble replicas and today’s four exclusive clientele dolled up just for the occasion. Rather overly ornate and pretentious? Yes. _How fitting for this one-out-of-ten-stars conversation_ , Park Chaewon (or more known by her royal name, Gowon), dressed in a simpler, cheaper tailored designer black dress for today, thought to herself. Her airy laugh and uneven smile was good enough to pass her lie though. “Ha, you’re so right! Excuse me for a second, if you will.” Her company bowed when she left for the washroom. _As they should_ , she huffed, fed up with their lacklustre talk of men.

  
Dabbing her small fingers daintily with the hand towel, she examined herself in the mirror. Her thick black wavy hair bounced about, healthy and shiny thanks to some designer brand shampoo. Her proud face gleamed back at herself. Too pretty for men, she prided herself, face angled in one pose after another of self-admiration. At least later in the afternoon would be the Changing of the Guards. If she hurried back home in time, she could see Shiah, Seunghee, Yubin and all the rest come in for work in their uniforms. Our princess squealed internally at the thought. Her finery wouldn’t have been for a waste today. Her mouth formed a cheeky grin that was punctured by the light laughter wafting in from the dining area. She sighed. She had enough of _those fake bit--_

Then the world went pitch black. Gowon fell down in what felt like an endless rabbit hole. Was she going to hurt her head on the floor? _Oh, no!_ she thought fearfully as she passed out. It would ruin her hair. Amidst these thoughts, large powerful arms caught her in embrace. An awkwardly stiff embrace, emitting fresh cotton and a trace of… watermelon? Though an embrace nonetheless.

Hours later, she came to. Gowon's eyes blinked a few times; her vision blurred and hazed as she struggled to keep her eyes open; still feeling somewhat drowsy. Did she manage to sleep the day away again somehow? Wait, but what’s this coarse material she was running her hands through? Certainly not her fine seamless silk sheets imported from Europe. This stuff had to be at least two grades lower; she would know. Sitting up to examine the room, Gowon’s head spun. This time, it was from the exceedingly terrible decor. _Disgusting._ Who would build such a dark and dreary sleeping space with no windows and a scarlet-on-black color scheme? Looks more like a dungeon or love motel than a fine bedroom.

Then it hit her. Did some sicko actually bypass her useless security to kidnap her for their own twisted purposes?! Gowon gasped. She might not have been the best student (to her many private tutors’ dismay), but she was a sharp tool still. Speaking of which, she went to grab her concealed pocket knife from her hidden inner pocket. She always had something on her as any woman of her standing should, she believed. But wait, what are these atrocious clothes? She let out a whining cry. Mint pineapple pajamas? What was she, a high schooler? Who changed her? Was it the same person with those big hands…? The cold shock ran through her, permeating her whole tiny body. She wanted to scream and run. Where the hell was the door? Could those damn ministers be trusted to find her? Would her grandfather send each and every last of his people out to save her in time? She knew she wasn’t exactly the ideal kind and bookish Princess everyone wanted but she was all they had, no? She hauled her mad pacing mid-step. The sudden new found wave of drowsiness disrupted her thinking process and movement. Gowon had to try much harder to concentrate. 

There was the door! Our damsel in distress yanked with all her might, but it didn’t budge. So many damn locks! What the hell was this sick place? Who would own such a peculiar room? The countless ornate locks rattled as she tugged and even resorted to kicking. On the verge of crying, having always hated scary escape rooms, puzzle games, mazes and the like, Gowon recomposed herself. She was sure there had to be at least one hidden camera somewhere for such a high status captive like her. She had already disgraced herself enough. Fuming, she plopped herself down on the S-shaped inflatable sofa by the door. It took two seconds to realize exactly what type of chair it was and shot up again. Only, she had stood up too quick. The nausea hit her anew. She fumbled with the locks again, banging non-stop regardless of her fatigue nor how it might look on camera.

From the observation room next door, the big-handed newbie kidnapper and her much more experienced colleague looked on with different emotions. One was in turmoil over what she had done and the other snickering with glee. Twelve hidden cameras total pointed on Gowon, the center of the show. Just never how she imagined it would be.

“Wow, look at that! Amazing right? Looks like Sooyoung’s locks work quite well! Don’t you think so, Hyejoo?” the older of the two commented with intrigue. Oh, what she would give to be the captive in that room. It wasn’t her first time in this observation room. That was it though, she was always just the cutesy watcher next door twirling her ombre hair. At least this time, she was more engaged than envious, among other feelings.

Next to her, the towering youngest of the family silently grumbled with pout. She also thought of Sooyoung in that instance, albeit in a very different light. “Damn it! Can’t she freaking come out of her bedroom already!? Why is she making us do everything?” she nearly yelled. What she meant to say was, why did Sooyoung have to once again make her do the dirty work, this time entrapping someone so fine and of utmost importance like _The_ National Korean Empire Princess, Park Gowon, First of Her Name? Why did she have to put her in that nasty dungeon of hers of all places and make her keep watch along with Jiwoo the chatterbox? There were plenty of free bedrooms in the manor; Sooyoung had at least nine that they knew of, to herself. Most had cameras too. Hyejoo wanted to throw out a series of expletives or flip a chair watching Gowon struggle, but Jiwoo would probably stop her with her loud mouth. “Argh!” Hyejoo left out the gargle of sound--then another. And another.

Unfortunately for her, Gowon struck luck. She couldn’t pry the locks upon but she did lock eyes with one of the hidden cameras. _Ah, so even the side handle on the custom sofa had a camera on it, huh?_ Gowon looked dead into it, fearless for a change, eyes bright.

“Fuck,” Hyejoo let out at long last. So the Princess’s eyes weren’t just photoshopped after all. They really were _that_ wide and resilient. Hyejoo’s heart palpitated as if the glass between them didn’t exist. A wolf in the moonlight and girl, you can bet it was one fine starry night. Panicked, the brashest of the bunch hit the newly installed big red button without a second thought. Gas was emitted into the room next door, and instantaneously took down Gowon with it. Without a hand to catch her, her head did hit the floor, not to her personal dismay this time but another’s. “Shit, what now…?” Hyejoo wanted to hide behind her long black hair.  
  


Expecting reprimanding for her language and emergency-only sleeping gas deployment, Hyejoo was met with indifference instead. “So what?” came the lighthearted, almost careless reply. “Let’s go get lunch! How about _malatang_?”

"Yes, I'll go get her lunch!" And with that, Hyejoo dashed out the door faster than DoorbellDash Delivery. 

"What? That's not what I… Get Sooyoung some food too! She’ll be hungry after--"

“I’M NOT LISTENING!”

***

It wasn’t the most illustrious, filming location-worthy stone brick school--the likes of which wealthy English kids would attend. It also wasn’t another high-end arts high school. But it was definitely somewhere in between. Also caught in between was one Im Yeojin. Her short, thin legs (she’s still growing, she’d have you know!) swung from the bench she sat on in waiting. The blue and white of her uniform skirt, button up tee and tie matched the sky. It was a bright chirpy afternoon, something of a rarity this time of year in Seoul. Head equally convoluted as that of the running figure heading in her direction, she moaned in dissatisfaction. She should be content. Her pigtails that Vivi had done for her had stayed in shape all day. It was the last day of the semester. Even the temperature was nice, too. Her seat under the ginkgo shade was perfect for enjoying the light breeze. So why wouldn’t her troubles leave her mind?

One of her many friends’ tapped her shoulder, one of the school beauties (not that Yeojin liked her for that reason). Her friends were just her friends. “Sure you don’t want to go to _noraebang_ with us?” she asked Yeojin again just in case.

The petite high schooler shrunk down, looking even smaller. “Nah, not today. I already made plans with my sister,” she fibbed. Plans with Haseul? As if--it’s been a million years. Yeojin just wasn’t feeling it. Chilling with the popular kids this round, she was sure it was bound to involve heavy drinking (illegal!) and it wasn’t her scene. If Haseul heard about it, before she ended her life, she would tell her yet again, “High school popularity is just for show. The most popular kid I knew from high school still lives with their whole extended family and works part-time jobs. It’s how you strike out and what you do with your talents after you leave school that matters.” Yeojin wondered what voters would think if they heard the young mayor speak so candidly and bluntly like this.

 _Why should I care about that,_ she reminded herself. She had enough senior woes already. Who knew studying art would be this wearisome. Her grades weren’t exactly in her favor either. And besides her friends, it seemed like only Vivi was consistently on her side. She suddenly wished her parents were still around--not that she remembered what they were like. It was okay, though. She couldn’t be too candid in front of Haseul, but when the latter was not available (which was more often than not these days), Vivi was the best parental figure she could ask for. Speaking of the loving assistant, caretaker, chauffeur and more all in one, where was she? She was running a little late, highly unusual for her. While Yeojin sat and stared into oblivion, unaware of the hasty person approaching the school, she daydreamed. Better times, a gallery of her own, her sister showing up for support, no more school. 

“Fuck school, I never went and look how I turned out? Just fine,” the young woman barely older than Yeojin commented aloud to herself, passing by in front of Yeojin, gesticulating with her hands. Son Hyejoo didn’t ever have to attend high school to know she would have hated it. Know-it-all Sooyoung was already one more than enough lecturer she needed in her life. 

Yeojin looked upon Hyejoo’s long strides and even longer sighs with bemusement. Besides her interesting comment, her cravat and bomber jacket in such a warm weather also stuck out. Why would one opt for thick clothing right now? Hyejoo had already briskly passed Yeojin, not taking any notice of her, but the words she had murmured to herself had stood out for Yeojin. She stood from the bench and tossed her backpack in the air with exhilaration. Her now irrelevant papers flung left and right. “Yeah, fuck school!” she exclaimed, loud enough for the unintentional role model to turn back and flash her a gummy smile. Yeojin grinned back at her and chuckled a little. It was then that her ride pulled up at the side of the road.

With the warmth of a mother, Vivi bent over the steering wheel and waved at Yeojin, wondering why her books were scattered on the floor. She didn’t verbally question this, and instead tapped the horn lightly to get the student’s attention. In a slightly better mood now, Yeojin gathered her stuff off the floor and trotted over.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to clear up some stuff at the office. How was school?” Vivi asked as Yeojin opened the car door and got in.

“The usual. I’m beat. Good day at work?”

“Well, yeah, today went well. Thanks for asking,” her crescent eye smile made Yeojin more at ease too. “Haseul will be home late today, though," she added matter of factly.

“Not a problem, she usually is,” Yeojin tried not to sound bummed. “We’ll make her dinner then!” She had grown past the years of being upset as making a fuss. Yes, she’s an adult now! Now she understood that Haseul had to work to put food on the table. Hard work for good food! Worth it. Yeojin reached to the back seat and dropped her books in it, then sunk into her seat. She could use some _malatang_ right now too.

**  
*****

Hyejoo almost slammed the door shut.

“I’m home!” she yelled out to an empty space as she took off her thick black jacket, leaving only her black tee and jeans on. She looked down at her tattered boots, wondering if she should buy a new pair, and shook them off. With the plastic bags from the restaurant still in her hand, she made firm steps across the lobby and climbed up the stairs, towards Sooyoung’s room. It was the room in the furthest wing, facing the east--the house’s natural light served as Sooyoung’s very own alarm clock. Hyejoo always knew to knock on the door rather than barge in; who knew what poor innocent soul was trapped in there. 

A couple of seconds later a lazy, muffled voice replied, “Come in.”

Hyejoo opened the door and there was Sooyoung, lying on the bed in a nightgown (above some high-end lingerie, no doubt). “I brought back _malatang_ ,” she said monotonously, holding out one of the bags. The room was needlessly huge, more than twice her own, and she always felt taken aback when she walked in.

"You can leave it on the table." The older woman’s tone was just as deadpanned; she had quite a default stern expression that made her seem emotionless at times (well, a lot of times). She motioned for Hyejoo to come in, and then pointed at the large, rectangular table a couple of feet away from the bed. 

Hyejoo hated when she did that--being beckoned like some kind of pet, like a servant. She was fully aware of her status in the house but she certainly did not need Sooyoung giving a reminder every second of her natural-born life. Damn her. Despite this, Hyejoo held back from making any comment and did as she was told. She took a bowl out of one of the plastic bags, then placed it on the table. “Here. Extra tofu and mushrooms.” The mini hot pot looked red even underneath the steam-covered lid. _Sichuan peppers are really something._

“Make sure the girl is okay. You _know_ how important she is," Sooyoung said--no, instructed--as she continued staring at the ceiling.

“I’m going to her room to give her some food right now.” Hyejoo walked out and shut the door, her jaw clenched. She swore she could hear a woman coming out of sheets whispering _“Is she gone?”_ the second the door closed. The head of the household always seemed to find a way to annoy Hyejoo. For example, texting her last minute to walk five blocks farther away on a warm afternoon to fetch the extra mouth-numbing food instead of getting it from the closest location or ordering delivery. Hyejoo even passed two different Paris Bagrette stores, for god’s sake. All she could think about right now is ice cream. Hmm, a bar of Melgona would be good right now.

Hyejoo rushed down the stairs and back out the front door. The Ha family compound was an excruciatingly large mammoth, with several buildings in it. Nevertheless, it was always kept neat and tidy. The workers worked tirelessly as Sooyoung never tolerated any bad form. Hyejoo knew too well. She marched across the sprinkler-drenched lawn to one of the smaller buildings, passed by the gardener working on the bonsai bench by the front porch and gave him a small nod as she entered the building. The wooden floors creaked under her feet as she walked, but she was already used to the sound. 

Three sets of stairs and six turns later, she arrived in front of the imposing burgundy door of the room she was looking for. There was no need to knock, of course, since she had the keys and codes to all of the locks for the room. Hyejoo was sure the slightest sound of the doorknob turning would alert Gowon anyway. Hyejoo unlocked the door and slid inside. She wasn’t scared of the hostage escaping because she knew she would overpower her in less than a minute. 

_Hah,_ she almost chuckled to herself.

This hostage, this girl with royal blood--would be no match for her. Having grown up in the Ha household, Hyejoo had killed more than she remembered. 

And she took pride in this.

Without a sound, she stood by the door and observed Gowon for a few seconds before she slowly walked up to the bed, where she lied sideways towards the wall, looking rather gloomy and, well, depressed. 

_A nice first meeting_ , Hyejoo thought, not expecting any different. She had heard tales of how rude this Gowon person supposedly was, and Hyejoo would have none of that. Her mild flush at their growing proximity must just be from the earlier rush. Yes, that must be it.

On her part, the jet-black haired princess said nothing at all. She did not even turn to acknowledge Hyejoo’s presence in the room. Hyejoo kicked the foot of the bedframe to get Gowon’s attention, before raising the bag in the air. “Got some food. It’s mealtime.” She took out the plastic bowl. Gowon finally turned, but just stared at her without saying a word. “Uh, did you hear what I said?”

"What's this? Are you going to poison me?" In contrast to her soft, doll-like voice, Hyejoo could tell immediately that Gowon had a tenacious spirit.

" _Malatang_ , your favorite. Don't flatter yourself." Hyejoo dropped the bowl on the bedside table, her eyebrows furrowing to check she did not actually break the base of the container. 

"How'd you-"

"You mentioned it once in an interview. Now eat!” Hyejoo snapped as she headed out. “It was hard to get, you know.” Gowon did not say a word as she left.

After locking the door, Hyejoo hesitantly pressed her ear against it and heard a small squeak--it was unmistakably the sound of Gowon getting off the bed--followed by what must be the opening of the bowl.

With an amused smile, she strolled down the corridor, thinking it was time she should focus on her own lunch.

*******

Hyunjin wasted no time as she headed straight for the gym. I guess you could say she skipped--almost literally. She was greeted by one of the personal trainers there, who asked her if she wanted to join a session today but she respectfully declined. Not today, she’s done her cardio exercises earlier in the morning. She spotted a woman planking on a pink yoga mat, a stopwatch running on the screen by the wall beside her.

“Eight minutes? Impressive,” she commented.

“Wait, don’t talk to me.”

Hyunjin smiled at the response. Jeon Heejin sure loved her workout time, and she would work out for hours. 

“You sure you don’t want this?” she asked, jokingly lowering the bag closer to Heejin’s face.

Earlier, Heejin had sent her to get her favorite dish: _malatang_. Not an easy feat, Hyunjin must say, as it turned out that the restaurant was closing early for the day due to the owner’s personal circumstances. As a result, Hyunjin was neck-to-neck with another customer (who she thought had come straight out of an assassin movie, judging from the black-over-black fashion style) while fighting over the last orders. 

Ah, the bodyguard life, Hyunjin lamented. Truth be told, bodyguard or not, she would risk her life for Heejin in a heartbeat. Even if it meant fighting some girl with poor fashion choice over takeaway food.

She heard Heejin let out a whine before eventually dropping on the mat in defeat.

“So unfair… I was aiming for nine minutes this time.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Hyunjin said with a grin, giving her a pat. 

Heejin pouted as she snatched the bag from her friend’s hand, but a bright smile immediately filled her expression at the smell of the dish.

“Thanks, Hyunjin,” Heejin said, smiling from one end of her face to the other. She hurried out of the gym and went to her room, followed by the bodyguard.


End file.
